'It's a complete shock' - Tom Dascombe stunned as Michael Owen ends partnership

Tom Dascombe said the decision made by Michael Owen to end their successful trainer-owner partnership came as a "complete shock" after it was revealed on Thursday he would no longer train from the yard the ex-footballer joint-owns.

Former England international Owen – who owns Manor House Stables with Betfair founder Andrew Black – released a statement on Twitter saying he would no longer be working with Dascombe after more than 12 years together and that they had parted on "great terms".

But Dascombe spoke of his surprise at the decision, which he said he learned about two days ago. He said: "It's come as a complete shock to me. I've only known about this for 48 hours. I've had to tell my family, the hardest thing was telling all my staff here. I'll have to consider my options and find somewhere to go and train.

"As they say, I started out with nothing but I've got most of it left, so I'll just carry on."

'My best winner in 12 years'

The Group 1-winning trainer is unsure where he will train next year, but insists he will not be quitting. He said: "There's one thing for sure, I will be training racehorses next year, but I just don't know where.

"I haven't had enough time to consider it with the speed of everything that's happened. I'll carry on. What else am I going to do? What else do I know anything about?"

Dascombe received a fillip when the John Dance-owned Skittlebombz won the 6f nursery handicap at Southwell on Thursday, after which he said: "I'm absolutely thrilled he's won, on the back of today's news it's probably the best winner I've had in my 12 years here because it goes to show we are carrying on with the job.

"I know he's only won a Southwell all-weather race, but he's going the right way. John [Dance] deserves all the success that he can have, he's a straightforward owner and lets me get on with the job."

Michael Owen: 'We have shared many great times and races together and created memories that will last a lifetime'Credit: Edward Whitaker

In all but three years, Dascombe has had more than 50 winners since teaming up with Owen. His highest tally was 79 in 2012. He has saddled 58 this year at a 13 per cent winning strike-rate.

The pair notably enjoyed great success with Brown Panther, who won the 2014 Irish St Leger, plus the Dubai Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot, and also finished second in the 2011 St Leger. He earned more than £1.1 million in prize-money before suffering a fatal injury when defending his Irish St Leger crown in 2015.

Owen said in his Twitter statement: "After more than 12 years as trainer, Tom Dascombe will be leaving Manor House Stables in the new year. We have shared many great times and races together and created memories that will last a lifetime.

"I would like to place on record my own personal thanks for all his hard work and support over the years. We part on great terms and everyone at MHS will miss him and wishes him the very best for the future.

"Colin Gorman and the rest of the MHS team will naturally oversee things once Tom departs and it will be very much business as usual until we appoint Tom's replacement."

Richard Kingscote (left), Dascombe (middle) and Owen (second from right) revel in Brown Panther's Irish St Leger victoryCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Dascombe and Owen were also famously associated with Chester and the May festival, with their most notable triumph at the Roodee coming with Brown Panther in the 2014 Ormonde Stakes.

Having begun training in 2005, Dascombe's best prize-money haul in a calendar year came in 2019 when he amassed £1,145,875, a campaign headlined by Angel Alexander's Ayr Gold Cup victory.

Dascombe also enjoyed Royal Ascot victories with Ceiling Kitty in the Queen Mary in 2012, her son Arthur Kitt in the 2018 Chesham Stakes and Rhythm Of Light in the 2011 Sandringham.

He also trained the popular sprinter Kachy to win the 2019 All-Weather Sprint Championship final and to finish second in the 2016 Commonwealth Cup.

The trainer had forged a successful partnership with former stable jockey Richard Kingscote while at Manor House Stables, but their 15-year partnership came to an end this year when Kingscote left to pursue opportunities with Sir Michael Stoute.

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